Puyat is BAP Chairman EmeritusGONZALO “Lito” Puyat II, considered the “godfather of Philippine basketball”, has rejoined the Basketball Association of the Philippines (BAP) after a few years’ lull.

“I am deeply honored to accept this position (Chairman Emeritus),” Puyat said moments after his election by acclamation.

Puyat has been very quiet on the raging basketball issue here but decided to break his silence after it became clear that several individuals with vested interests would like to destroy a 70-year sports institution that is the BAP. “I will not allow this to happen. I spent more than half of my life with basketball and making it the most popular sport in the Philippines. I will not let more than 30 years of my work go down the drain,” said the 73-year-old Puyat, a former assemblyman, longest serving BAP president, two-time FIBA president and an inductee to the International Hall of Fame in Springfield, Massachusetts as well as Ateneo’s (his alma mater) Hall of Fame.

Puyat was at the forefront of the Philippines’ campaign to renew the country’s ties with China way back in 1974, when he headed a delegation composed of the best Filipino players which played in Beijing.

That, according to Puyat, was one of the biggest contributions of the BAP, not only to sport, but to diplomacy and politics in this country. That trip paved the way for the establishment of the Philippines-China ties under the watch of the late President Marcos.

Through Puyat, the BAP also hosted the 1978 World Basketball Championships and the 1st Asian Junior Basketball Championships at the Araneta Coliseum. For the first time ever, Europeans teams like Yugoslavia and Italy displayed their brand of basketball before Filipinos.

“How can I let BAP die, considering its tradition and historical past?” asked Puyat. “How can I forget the words of the late FIBA founder and the international body’s first secretary general, Dr. R. William Jones, who cited the Philippines for being the only one of 167 FIBA-member countries which has not changed its official address since the BAP was founded by the late Senator Ambrosio Padilla in 1936.

Philippine basketball is strong, thanks in large measure to the BAP wich has established affiliated organizations all over the country. It still exists because our NOC committed a grave mistake when it “expelled” the BAP. What the NOC should have done was to call for a reorganization of BAP officials instead of “booting (it) out” from the Olympic body and recognizing a new cage body in its place. This, Puyat stressed, was a clear mistake which the FIBA has obviously noted and thus continues to recognize the BAP.

With Puyat as Chairman Emeritus, the BAP has become stronger. His experience, knowledge and tremendous love for the sport of basketball will serve as the BAP’s guiding light as it continues to pursue its vigorous developmental program and its desire to make the Philippines the cage power in Asia.

The Philippine Olympic Committee is under the International Olympic Committee. Administrative matters are the only concern of the POC with regard to the National Sports Associations. The National Sports Associations are autonomous which is its inherent, inalienable right. The National Sports Associations itself cannot waive or allow itself to be trampled. It shall resist government, religious and economic pressure.

In questions of technicalities, the National Sports Associations are under their respective International Sports Federations (ISF). In the case of BAP, it is under the FIBA, its International Federation.

POC President Jose Cojuangco should not interfere in the interior affairs of the BAP like the national basketball team losing to a team composed of actors.

The concern of the POC is the harmony of the National Sports Associations.

In the case of the BAP, the POC undermines the BAP instead of unifying it.

The only time the POC can act is when within the sports association, its members cannot agree. The sports association may appeal to the POC.

The POC is undermining the BAP by organizing another association so-called "Samahan ng Basketball" composed of the so-called stakeholders which Secretary General of the FIBA, Patrick Baumann, does not understand. "Stakeholder" is not in the sports vocabulary.

The National Sports Associations like the BAP are composed of their regional associations, and there are sixteen of them. They elect their officers.

The IOC representative should be consulted first to get his advice.

This case embarrasses the Philippines because the POC officials are ignorant of the IOC rules.

The IOC representative should not be a party to any group and should not take part in the deliberations as it happened before, in the elections of Celso Dayrit and the ouster of Cristy Ramos.

The IOC represetative to the Philippines, Frank Elizalde, told then Deputy Secretary General of the FIBA, Patric Baumann, that there was already a case pending in the Court of Appeals with regard to the previous election of Quintellano Literal for the BAP presidency.

The Court of Appeals is a government entity. That was a clear government intervention, prohibited by IOC rules of no government intervention in sports.

October 14, 2006 Saturday Interview with Manila Times “What is really the motive of Manny Pangilinan” By: Commissioner Quirino "Chino" A. MarquinezFirst, Manny Pangilinan announced earlier on that “he accepted being head of the three-man panel only up to the formation of the new single basketball organization and that he is not interested in any position in the new organization. Then after the incorporation of the new organization, Pangilinan announced that “he was available to be Chairman but not President because the latter position is a full time position.” Then after a barrage of press releases coming from organization affiliated with Pilipinas Basketball (PB), asking Pangilinan to be Chairman and President in a concurrent capacity, Pangilinan announced that he was prepared to assume the Chairmanship and Presidentcy of the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas (SBP) in a concurrent capacity provided Pangilinan had the support of both the BAP and the PB in the formation of the SBP management team. BAP supports Pangilinan only as Chairman but not as President. The BAP has a nominee for the President. Only PB supports Pangilinan as Chairman and President in a concurrent capacity. Now, Pangilinan simply wants to be Chairman and President of SBP in a concurrent capacity even without the support of the BAP conveniently forgetting his condition for accepting the SBP chairmanship and presidency, i.e. provided he had the support of both the BAP and PB in the formation of the SBP management team. What really is Pangilinan’s motive? Noble? I doubt it if you analyze the sequence of events. Even in year 2001, Pangilinan was already sided and involved with those presently with the PB officers which was known as the “Superbody” to discredit the BAP but was unsuccessful. Think about it. Did Pangilinan accept being the head of the three-man panel with a definite intention of controlling basketball in the country? Being an avid fan of basketball game and, as then former vice president and governor of the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA), I feel that a certain group is condemning the interest of the BAP which should not be the case. BAP is the only recognized basketball organization outside the country and have existed much longer that any other organization or sports organization. BAP should stay as it is, but the men behind could be reorganized. BAP has not done anything wrong to the country, so why change?